Mikrobiotans

Mikrobiotans is a term used in speculative discussions to describe a proposed class of ultra-small, mobile microbial units that participate in host–microbiome interactions. In this framework, mikrobiotans occupy a niche between free-living microbiota and larger, better characterized microbial communities, acting as transient carriers and mediators of signals that shape microbial ecology and host physiology.

The term mikrobiotans has no formal taxonomic status and is not widely used in peer‑reviewed microbiology. It appears primarily in theoretical prose and some speculative discussions about microbiome structure. As such, there is no consensus on precise definitions, lifecycles, or ecological roles.

In hypothetical models, mikrobiotans are imagined as extremely small cells or cell fragments with flexible metabolism, the ability to traverse delicate barriers, and the capacity to form temporary associations with hosts or other microbes. They might facilitate rapid signaling, gene exchange, or colonization of new niches without establishing long‑term residency.

Research on mikrobiotans remains speculative. Proposed study approaches include high-resolution metagenomics, single-cell genomics, advanced microscopy, and dynamic simulations of microbiome networks. If validated, the concept could influence thinking about microbial transmission and ecosystem resilience, as well as proposals for microbiome engineering, but it also highlights definitional uncertainties and the risk of conflating hypothetical constructs with real organisms.

See also microbiome, microbiota, symbiosis.